Leeds +550 Favorite in Opening 2020 EFL Championship Odds

• Coach Bielsa stays at club to boost title hopes
• Dramatic end to playoff bid in May
• Fulham, Cardiff, WBA rated next in line

Leeds United dramatically missed out on promotion from the EFL Championship last season but are the early front-runners to lift the title next time around.

The decision of highly-rated Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa to remain with the club is seen as a major boost.

2020 EFL Championship Odds

*Odds taken 6/19/19. For a full list of teams click the link in the table

It means they have been installed as +550 favorites to finish first next May. Fulham are second favorites at +800 after being relegated from the EPL. Another newly-relegated team, Cardiff City, are jointly-rated third in line for the prize at +1000, along with West Bromwich Albion.

Fixtures Announced Thursday

The fixtures for the 2019/20 season will be announced in England on Thursday morning.

Leeds are one of the biggest English clubs outside the EPL.

But they have been out of the top flight for 16 years and missed out on a return in May despite finishing third in the Championship’s regular season.

An automatic promotion place had been there for the taking before Easter but a slump in form meant they missed out on the top two.

They were beaten 4-2 at home by sixth-placed Derby County in the playoff semifinal second leg after winning 1-0 in the first leg.

An automatic promotion place had been there for the taking before Easter but a slump in form meant they missed out on the top two.

After being in second place with four games remaining, they lost three times and drew once to finish third.

Argentine Extended Contract

Bielsa, 63, was said to be distraught following the double failure. But he was convinced to try again and Leeds activated a 12-month extension clause in his contract.

They have one of the strongest squads in the division and are good value at this early price.

They could be about to lose highly-rated winger Jack Clarke who is a £20 million transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the club’s pre-season transfer activity may be limited as they may be hit with restrictions imposed under the EFL’s  financial fair play rules.

Presuming Frank Lampard moves to Chelsea, only 6 managers that started the season in charge of their Championship club will be in the same position for 2019/20:

Marcelo Bielsa
Lee Johnson
Alex Neil
Tony Mowbray
Paul Cook
Neil Harris

— Mark O'Haire (@MarkOHaire) June 18, 2019

They could also be about to lose highly-rated winger Jack Clarke who is a £20 million transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur. However, any sale could free up finance for new arrivals to strengthen Bielsa’s squad, with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Portuguese star Helder Costa on the wanted list as a potential loan signing.

Fulham lasted just one season in the EPL after winning promotion via the EFL playoff final in 2018.

Despite their struggles last season, they have one of the Championship’s more impressive line-ups, although they may lose Serbian striker Alexsandr Mitrovic who is a target for several EPL outfits.

Fulham Boss Parker is a Rookie

Manager Scott Parker is a rookie who will be beginning his first full season in charge after being handed a caretaker role towards the end of last season.

We're delighted to announce Slaven Bilić as our new Head Coach…

Welcome, Slav!#SuperSlav | #WBA https://t.co/Q9xnjFzBDs

— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) June 13, 2019

Cardiff City’s veteran manager Neil Warnock could not preserve their Premier League status last May. But he is noted as a promotion expert, having achieved the feat no fewer than eight times in his career. So they look worth a calculated risk for the title at +1000.

West Bromwich Albion finished fourth last season but were beaten in the playoff semifinal by eventual winners Aston Villa. Despite appointing former West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic as their new coach, a playoff finish between third and sixth placed looks most likely.

Pick: Leeds United +550